The FCC has voted to approve Nexstar’s $4.1 billion takeover of Tribune Media, paving the way for Nexstar to become the nation’s largest owner of television stations with more than 200 outlets serving a wide swath of the country.
In granting the merger, the FCC said viewers would benefit from combining the two giant media companies under the Nexstar corporate umbrella.
“The Commission found that the proposed merger would provide several public interest benefits to viewers of current Tribune and Nexstar stations,” the FCC said in a statement Monday. “For example, viewers would benefit from their local stations having increased access to Nexstar’s Washington, DC, news bureau and state news bureaus.”
The acquisition of Tribune Media gives Nexstar both broadcasting history and major market heft, adding 42 TV stations including WGN-Ch. 9 in Chicago. The deal also includes cable channel WGN America and WGN-AM 720, the only radio station owned by either group.
